


Pie-Ning Away

by Multiple_Universes



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Baker Victor Nikiforov, Christmas, Florist Christophe Giacometti, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, YOI Secret Santa 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 10:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17160347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multiple_Universes/pseuds/Multiple_Universes
Summary: If you ever ask around, anyone who lived in that part of the city would tell you that the best cakes to be had were sold in Tirol Bakery. It was said that the reason that their cakes were so good was that they were made with love and, in all fairness, there was lots of love in Tirol, perhaps even more than anywhere else.Victor Nikiforov is just a baker and Yuuri Katsuki is the man who helps him look after their little bakery. Who knows how long they would've been stuck, convinced that the other didn't like them if Fate hadn't sent them Chris the florist. Armed with mistletoe, the man refuses to let any couple pine away for too long.





	Pie-Ning Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bonetrinket (neer)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neer/gifts).



> This is my fic for the YOI Secret Santa Exchange! I hope you like it, Neer!

If you ever ask around, anyone who lived in that part of the city would tell you that the best cakes to be had were sold in Tirol Bakery. It was said that the reason that their cakes were so good was that they were made with love and, in all fairness, there was lots of love in Tirol, perhaps even more than anywhere else.

Two people worked at Tirol Bakery – Victor Nikiforov, who baked everything from plain bread to complicated wedding cakes, and Yuuri Katsuki, who looked after the store, arranging all of the baked goodies, packing them in bags and manning the counter. Both men were fresh out of college, both enjoyed baking and both were hopelessly in love with each other, all while convinced that the other person would never like them back.

It was a typical December morning. The sky was covered with grey and white clouds and snowflakes floated down quietly onto the bustling city below. It was still dark out: the sun wouldn’t rise for another hour or so.

Yuuri arrived first. He unlocked the front door and went to the back to put his coat away. He stopped before a mirror and adjusted his work clothes for several minutes before giving a sad sigh and turning away. After that he went through the usual ritual of adjusting the display in the window and moving things around on the counter until they stood just right.

Victor always came in through the back entrance. The kitchen where he worked was in the back, separated by a door from the rest of the store. By the time Yuuri finished arranging the store to his satisfaction the first batch of bread would be complete.

The smell of baking bread filled the place, making Yuuri feel happy and at peace.

He poked his head into the kitchen. “Good morning!”

“Good morning!” Victor greeted him with a big smile and a little wave.

Yuuri felt his heart skip a beat as blood rose to his face. Victor’s smile was really the best thing in the world. “How are you?” he asked, fidgeting.

“Good. How are you?” Victor threw a glance over Yuuri, noted for the hundredth time how well the uniform suited him and blushed.

“Good,” Yuuri answered and mentally kicked himself for not having an interesting answer to give.

An awkward silence hung in the air, begging to be put out of its misery.

“Well, I’ll get back to… the shop… There … need to…um… if customers come,” Yuuri stammered out. He waited for Victor to nod before returning to the counter.

Yuuri went over everything in the shop a second time just in case he’d missed something or one of the objects moved on its own and settled at the counter with a sigh.

Getting to work with Victor was a dream come true. They’d been in the same class in college. He was sure that at some point or other every single girl on campus tried to win Victor’s heart. For some reason he turned them all down. How could Yuuri possibly stand a chance with someone who had such high standards? It was hopeless.

He gave a heavy sigh.

In the kitchen at that moment Victor was leaning against one of the tables and sighing heavily himself.

Why did he have to fall in love with someone who was completely unapproachable?

He mulled this over while he prepared the second batch of bread.

Then he worked on heart-shaped pastries and cakes with strawberries and little hearts all over them.

Last Valentine’s Day had been a disaster. He’d worked hard to make the best chocolates in the world only to chicken out at the last minute. Afterwards, he spent a whole week cursing himself.

_I love you, Yuuri, and the thought that I’m stuck watching you from the sidelines, unable to make a single move is killing me. Will I be forced to watch you fall in love with someone else?_ The thought pained him and he fought hard to forget it.

_Think! What do you need to make next?_

Next were the croissants. Now, I don’t know how you feel about croissants, dear reader, but I can assure that Victor made the softest croissants imaginable that would melt in your mouth.

He worked hard, doing his best to not think about a beautiful customer coming to their bakery one day and winning Yuuri’s heart.

Yuuri, meanwhile, was doodling on a piece of paper, knowing full well that he still had another half hour or so until the first customer would come. He doodled hearts and wrote Victor’s name into each one. He filled the whole page with hearts of different sizes until there wasn’t a single empty space left.

The sound of footsteps made him tear the page out and stick it hastily in his pocket.

Victor came in with a tray loaded with bread and Yuuri rushed over to help him.

Yes, everything about that day was the same as it had been the day before and nothing promised a break out of this routine. To Yuuri and Victor’s great luck, that day Fate decided that it had enough.

The door opened and Yuuri put on a cheerful expression. “Hello! Welcome to Tirol Bakery!”

The newcomer was dressed in what also looked like a work uniform of some kind. He had short dirty-blond hair and an unshaven face. There was something charming about him. He smiled warmly at Yuuri. “Good morning! I’m your new neighbour!”

“Neighbour?” Yuuri repeated and blinked in confusion. He’d lived in the same apartment building for years with Victor as his only neighbour. How did this man figure out where he worked?

“Yeah, I own the flower shop next door,” he explained.

“Oh! The one that just opened? Congratulations!”

“Thank you. I want to do something special for my opening event. When I saw your bakery I got an idea. Can I order –” He stopped talking abruptly and repeated his greeting.

Yuuri turned and saw that Victor had joined him, drawn by the sound of their conversation. To Yuuri’s great surprise, Victor placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m Victor Nikiforov and this is Yuuri Katsuki,” he said. “Welcome to the neighbourhood!”

“My name is Christophe Giacometti, but you can call me Chris,” the florist said. “Can I place an order for a big batch of flower-shaped cookies? I want to give them away to my first customers.”

“Yes, of course!” Victor replied cheerfully.

Yuuri stared between them in surprise. Was it his imagination or did the atmosphere get really tense a minute ago? He shook the thought off, feeling foolish, and joined the conversation, writing down what Chris wanted and calculating the cost.

All the details sorted out, Victor made for the kitchen, pausing for a moment to throw a long look at Yuuri and Chris before he left.

“Wow! Your boyfriend is really the jealous type, isn’t he?” Chris leaned forward and whispered.

Yuuri blushed. “He’s not my boyfriend.” He went over Chris’ order and calculated the total.

“Are you sure about that?” Chris asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yuuri didn’t bother saying anything about that. Instead, he told Chris how much he owed and took his card.

“Oh, I get it!” Chris snapped his fingers. “You’re fighting, aren’t you? Well, I’m sure that whatever he’s done you can forgive him.”

Yuuri gave him a cold look. “We’re _not_ dating and we never have…” he sighed and threw a longing look in the direction of the kitchen, “…and I doubt we ever will,” he added really softly.

“Why? Have you tried to ask him out?” Chris leaned in even closer, keeping his voice low.

“No.”

“Then how do you know he’ll turn you down?” Chris pressed on.

Was it really a question that needed to be asked? “Because he’s out of my league,” Yuuri explained in a tone of voice that suggested that he was stating the obvious. “Because he turned down everyone who ever asked him out.”

“I don’t think he’s out of your league,” Chris pointed out.

“You’re just being nice,” Yuuri told him. Why couldn’t Chris leave him alone? He was miserable enough already! And he was at work. When would the first customer come in and save him from this conversation?

But the customers refused to come. Yuuri glanced at the clock. He still had ten minutes before the usual morning rush, ten minutes of dealing with Chris’ annoying questions.

“Just ask him out,” Chris said softly. “This way you’ll know for sure how he feels about you.”

“And what if he says no?” Yuuri argued. “Then things will get really awkward and I’ll have to quit this job and find somewhere else to go. And then what? I love this job!”

Chris looked ready to argue, but Yuuri shook his head and declared that he refused to say any more on the subject.

 

Chris wasn’t the nosy type, or someone who thought that they knew better than others. He just enjoyed setting people up together. He’d done it all through high school and continued to do so afterwards. And what better way to set people up than by selling them flowers to give to each other?

He saw the expression on Yuuri’s face and heard his tone and decided not to push the matter further.

After he finished making all the arrangements for his order, he returned to his flower shop. He’d had a good look at Tirol’s merchandise and congratulated himself on such a good location. What did people get for their loved ones? Chocolates and flowers, of course!

He arranged the flowers in the display and waited for his order and his first customers.

By 7 am a constant flow of people formed, going in and out of the bakery. Most people walked out with a croissant in their hand. Not surprisingly, no one needed flowers at 7 in the morning.

Chris closed his store and ran to fetch his order.

Tirol was much more alive now and he had to stand in a long lineup before he could speak to Yuuri.

“Oh! Hello again! Your order is ready. I’ll go ask…” Yuuri began.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chris cut in smoothly. “You have all these customers to see to. I can go talk to Victor myself.”

Yuuri nodded and let him through. Chris caught the look he got and promised, “I won’t be long.”

He strolled into the kitchen, bracing himself for another difficult conversation.

“Your order is ready,” Victor told him. He placed a big tray on the table. “I’ll ask Yuuri to pack it for you.”

“I can do it,” Chris assured him. “Just give me a bag. Yuuri is busy with customers right now.” He accepted a bag and carefully filled it with cookies from the tray. Victor had let his imagination run wild and there were fifteen different types of flowers.

“Yuuri is really handsome,” Chris said after a brief pause. “To be honest, I got really flustered when I first saw him.” He caught the cold look Victor gave him and kept going. “And he’s really nice too!”

Victor crossed his arms over his chest and agreed with the expression of someone two steps away from murder.

“You’re really lucky to work with someone like him!”

“I am very lucky,” Victor agreed.

Chris watched the way he pursed his lips and decided not to push further. “I got some mistletoe in this morning.”

“That’s… nice,” Victor said like someone who couldn’t think of anything to say, but felt that some sort of reaction was required.

“Don’t you know? It’s traditional to kiss your loved one under the mistletoe at Christmas!” Chris explained.

Maybe he should’ve been more subtle about it, but – oh to hell with subtlety! By the looks of it, neither Yuuri, nor Victor would understand a hint if it danced in front of them, wearing nothing at all.

This valuable information about mistletoe passed along, Chris left, making a mental note to repeat it to Yuuri as soon as he got the chance. He made sure to take all his cookies with him.

 

That day seemed to fly by. As soon as Victor finished one order, he had to work on something for the store and once he was done with that, another order came in, the cycle going on without end. He took a brief break in the middle of the day when he and Yuuri used the short lull in activity to have lunch together in the kitchen.

Evening turned to night and customers became few and far between. It was time to close the bakery.

Victor cleaned the kitchen and put everything back in its usual place. That done, he removed his apron and went to check up on Yuuri.

Yuuri wasn’t alone: Chris and he were deep in a conversation. The florist was whispering something into his ear and making him blush.

This was it. It was actually happening: Yuuri was falling in love with someone else and there was nothing Victor could do about it.

He wanted to march over to them and kick the florist out of the shop, but then what? He couldn’t prevent Yuuri from seeing the man after the bakery closed. Maybe they’d already made plans to go watch a movie together.

Victor turned away and returned to the kitchen. He went over everything again and prepared to leave.

“Victor?” Yuuri called, entering the kitchen. “Do you want to… um… go home together?”

_More than anything!_ He noticed that Yuuri had entered on his own and wondered if Chris was waiting for him in the store. “With Chris?” The words slipped out before he could even think and he cursed himself mentally.

“Chris left,” Yuuri told him. “He lives in a different part of town. I thought you wouldn’t mind… But if you have other plans…”

Victor walked over to Yuuri with a smile. “I want to go home with you,” he said. Then, getting an idea, he rushed over to the closet where Yuuri kept his coat and took it down to help Yuuri into it.

But their walk, which normally would’ve been very pleasant, was full of bitter thoughts.

_I wish Yuuri would notice me,_ Victor thought, not knowing that Yuuri was thinking the exact same thing in that moment.

They continued on, too lost in their thoughts to say a single word to each other. Only when they reached the doors to their apartments did it strike them that they hadn’t said a word to each other the whole time.

_Why didn’t I say something?_ Victor asked himself. _I got this chance to talk to him alone and…_

It was just hopeless.

 

A week later something new appeared in their store. Neither Yuuri nor Victor saw how it got there and both assumed the other had put it up and didn’t have the heart to take it down. In fact, it was some time before Victor figured out what it actually was. Mistletoe appeared at the Tirol Bakery.

The days leading up to Christmas were spent pretending it wasn’t there. Victor carefully avoided making any reference to it. He wasn’t sure why, but he even avoided that part of the store.

But on the morning of the 24th, unable to stand it any longer, Victor brought it up as casually as he could.

“I like how you decorated the store,” he told Yuuri. “The mistletoe was a good idea.”

Yuuri stared at it and then back at Victor. “I thought you were the one who put it up.”

“I didn’t…” Victor admitted. His heart fell as he realized there was only one man who could’ve possibly done it.

As soon as Yuuri was off to pack another order he marched up to the offending plant to take it down and toss it out. If Chris was so set on taking Yuuri away, he certainly wasn’t going to kiss Yuuri in _his_ bakery!

He turned away and returned to the kitchen, feeling frustrated and angry. Worse than that, he felt completely powerless to really do anything.

Victor worked hard after that and by lunchtime he forgot all about Chris and the mistletoe.

 

Evening descended on the city once more, falling gently as if someone was draping a blanket over all the houses.

Victor finished cleaning the kitchen and walked out into the shop. He _had_ to ask Yuuri to walk home with him this time and on the way back he _had_ to be brave and ask Yuuri to spend Christmas with him.

Yuuri almost walked into him and they stopped in the doorway, uncertain of which way to go next.

He needed to say something, Victor told himself, but he was so caught off guard that he forgot everything he’d meant to say.

Something caught Yuuri’s eye and he looked up to study it. Victor raised his eyes too.

“Mistletoe…” he whispered and mentally cursed Chris. He looked back at Yuuri and saw the blush on his cheeks. Was it his imagination or was Yuuri suddenly closer than he’d been before?

“I…” Yuuri began. “Can I… Can I kiss you?” He stared down at his feet.

This was so far removed from what Victor had expected to hear that he stared in silence, wondering if he’d heard wrong.

“I…” Yuuri fidgeted and then raised his eyes and met Victor’s. “I love you. I know I’m not good enough for you and –”

Victor burst out laughing.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No!” Victor protested. “Not at all! Ever since we met, I thought the same – I mean, that _I’m_ not good enough for _you_ ,” he clarified. “And all this time… I… I…” He let out a relieved sigh. “I love you too.”

They leaned forward and their lips met. Above them the mistletoe hung from the doorway, taped on at an awkward angle. There was a little envelope buried among the plant’s leaves, containing a short note.

_Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this little present!_

_Chris x_

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, everyone!


End file.
